WHAT KING OF LIZARD

Question
Dear Thomas,

I was informed about your site from Bonnie (Discovery online).

I hope you are doing O.K.
The reason to write you is about a strange reptile I saw during a trip to Thailand last year.
I was in Thailand last year, May 2005 .From the city of Pucket I took a large ship caring 200 passengers to 1h 30 minutes trip to Phi Phi Island.
About 40 minutes traveling I was on the front of the boat looking the sea when suddenly a large animal or reptile that I believed about 1.0 meter high or 4 feet was running in very high speed with two feet same as Lizard .He crossed in the front of our large boat and kept running for the right direction and I could see him for another 10-15 seconds until disappear. The sea was calm and very good visibility.
Can you help me identify this animal? I think it was very large to be a Lizard. the animal was black, look like a Lizards ,but body was round as snake and running upright position with two feet and he has arms like lizards and smooth skin .I saw he runs for about maybe one mile until disappear. He was very fast. The location Andaman Sea.


Thanks and best regards,

Ricardo Millen
E fax 1 212 937-2303
E mail rmilleninternational@yahoo.com


Answer
Hi Ricardo,

there are only a few species that can run bipedally, nothing that i can think of that large or black, baskilas/jesus lizard can but are green or brown and get 2 mabey 3 feet with tail,water dragons can run bipedally but no reptile can run bipedally on land or water for the distance that you saw, some only a foot or two most a couple of yards with few exceptions, so you have me stumped, sorry i couldnt be more help there are also bengal monitors from that area and water monitors but they cant achieve bipedal motion.

                 thanks for the question

                                tommy